Narrative:

All dispatchers in the building and on shift, were ordered to leave our assigned duty area due to a possible fire in the annex connecting our building. Problem was found to be a smokey elevator motor. Only 1 manager remained in dispatch area assuming responsibility for all domestic/international flts and issued several amendments. Many of these flts were in progress already. Without proper briefing as to WX conditions at destination or en route, or restrictive MEL items on the aircraft. No call was ever made to the national command center or any ATC facility advising we were in a potential emergency situation or requesting a ground stop on all company flts. Supplemental information of acn 622651: the head management person told everyone to 'evaluate the office' and go to the company pre-determined 'safe' spot outside. No reason was given. Immediately went to the supervisor on the floor and asked if we were ATC ground stopping flts and putting airborne flts on the ground? I did not get a response and went back to my desk. I had 8 aircraft in the air. I was flight following and planning about 38 flts. At that point I was told by management to 'leave the building now.' while standing outside I saw 3 of our aircraft depart. 'Who is watching the store?' approximately 30-40 mins later we were allowed back into dispatch where I found out one management dispatcher had watched the entire worldwide operation. This company needs a better plan in place and next time, I'm not leaving my desk with planes in the air. The emergency was an overheated elevator motor which tripped a fire alarm 3 floors above us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 DISPATCHERS RPT THAT SAFETY OF THEIR FLTS MAY HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED WHEN THEY ARE ORDERED OUT OF THEIR BUILDING FOR A THEN UNDETERMINED REASON. A SINGLE MGR ATTEMPTED TO RUN THE DISPATCH OP DURING THE EVAC.

Narrative: ALL DISPATCHERS IN THE BUILDING AND ON SHIFT, WERE ORDERED TO LEAVE OUR ASSIGNED DUTY AREA DUE TO A POSSIBLE FIRE IN THE ANNEX CONNECTING OUR BUILDING. PROB WAS FOUND TO BE A SMOKEY ELEVATOR MOTOR. ONLY 1 MGR REMAINED IN DISPATCH AREA ASSUMING RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL DOMESTIC/INTL FLTS AND ISSUED SEVERAL AMENDMENTS. MANY OF THESE FLTS WERE IN PROGRESS ALREADY. WITHOUT PROPER BRIEFING AS TO WX CONDITIONS AT DEST OR ENRTE, OR RESTRICTIVE MEL ITEMS ON THE ACFT. NO CALL WAS EVER MADE TO THE NATIONAL COMMAND CTR OR ANY ATC FACILITY ADVISING WE WERE IN A POTENTIAL EMER SIT OR REQUESTING A GND STOP ON ALL COMPANY FLTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO OF ACN 622651: THE HEAD MGMNT PERSON TOLD EVERYONE TO 'EVALUATE THE OFFICE' AND GO TO THE COMPANY PRE-DETERMINED 'SAFE' SPOT OUTSIDE. NO REASON WAS GIVEN. IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE SUPVR ON THE FLOOR AND ASKED IF WE WERE ATC GND STOPPING FLTS AND PUTTING AIRBORNE FLTS ON THE GND? I DID NOT GET A RESPONSE AND WENT BACK TO MY DESK. I HAD 8 ACFT IN THE AIR. I WAS FLT FOLLOWING AND PLANNING ABOUT 38 FLTS. AT THAT POINT I WAS TOLD BY MGMNT TO 'LEAVE THE BUILDING NOW.' WHILE STANDING OUTSIDE I SAW 3 OF OUR ACFT DEPART. 'WHO IS WATCHING THE STORE?' APPROX 30-40 MINS LATER WE WERE ALLOWED BACK INTO DISPATCH WHERE I FOUND OUT ONE MGMNT DISPATCHER HAD WATCHED THE ENTIRE WORLDWIDE OP. THIS COMPANY NEEDS A BETTER PLAN IN PLACE AND NEXT TIME, I'M NOT LEAVING MY DESK WITH PLANES IN THE AIR. THE EMER WAS AN OVERHEATED ELEVATOR MOTOR WHICH TRIPPED A FIRE ALARM 3 FLOORS ABOVE US.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.